Fall Music Preview: 24 New Albums to Check Out

From Wilco to Metallica to Coldplay to Björk, a batch of new records for a new season

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With Labor Day bringing barbecue-boombox season to a close, we can stop listening to the "song of the Summer"—and stop debating whether that title should have gone to Pitbull, LMFAO, Foster the People, or nobody.

Fall actually may be most bountiful season for new music, as records jockey to land on holiday wish lists, soundtrack autumn's prestige pictures, and get in line for publications' best-of-the-year roundups. Certainly, 2011's offerings will be diverse: There are releases from standards singers who have enjoyed decades of popularity, newly important '90s acts, and, most excitingly, promising up-and-comers. Below, a rough list of the records you can expect to hear—or at least hear people talking about—in the coming months.

Note: Some of the music players may be slow to load. Give 'em a few seconds.

Spencer Kornhaber is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where he covers pop culture and music. He was previously an editor at Patch.com and a staff writer at OC Weekly. He has written for Spin, The AV Club, and RollingStone.com.